No license or passport for sex offenders in India

Authorities in a central Indian state Thursday warned that men who sexually harass or taunt women will not be issued driving licenses and passports, or lose their documents.

Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh state Shivraj Singh Chouhan announced the move at a public meeting, while urging people to oppose harassment and violence against women, officials said.

“We are all set to implement the project to control Eve-teasing in the state,” government spokesman Rakesh Srivastava said, using a South Asian euphemism for the sexual harassment or taunting of women.

“Police is already preparing a database of such offenders.”

“Men against whom police investigations confirm such offences will not be given passports or driving licences. Offenders who already hold licences or passports will lose them,” Srivastava said by phone from state capital Bhopal.

Madhya Pradesh is geographically the second-largest state in India and has a population of about 72 million.

Women’s rights groups say harassment is a major problem in India, which is also considered one of the most unsafe countries for women, with high reported rates of rape and abductions.